August 26, 2019 Monday Night RAW
The August 26, 2019 Edition of RAW is a Professional wrestling television show of the WWE's RAW brand, which took place on August 26, 2019 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Episode summary Sasha Banks addressed WrestleMania rumors and brawled with Natalya For four months, Sasha Banks was conspicuous by her absence, her name in the streets even as she stayed out of sight and minded her own business in the aftermath of WrestleMania. And, in her first significant turn on the mic since her return two weeks ago, The Boss took the opportunity to correct — and confirm — a few blind items that persisted since her departure. Yes, she "threw a fit" at The Showcase of the Immortals; yes, she cried on the locker room floor; and yes, she took her ball and went home. The why, however, was far from what was rumored. The reason The Boss was so despondent was because she’d been “relegated” to a tag title match she didn’t care about, defending titles she didn’t care about, while Becky Lynch got the main-event spotlight against Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. To reclaim the spotlight, Sasha knew she needed a “perfect plan,” which is why she picked a precise moment to heinously ambush the grieving Natalya two weeks ago. And even though Becky Lynch came to save the day, The Boss’ mission was accomplished: She had the WWE Universe’s attention, she had the spotlight and she had all the “glory” she deserved. Natalya’s arrival somewhat rained on Banks’ parade, as The Queen of Harts sprinted toward the ring and began trading haymakers with Sasha at ringside. The Queen of Harts’ vicious throwdown showed The Boss that she isn’t quite as impervious as she thinks. Natalya may have gained an edge in advance of her match against Banks later tonight, but it’s hard to believe the fight didn’t play into Sasha’s hands even further: Now, everyone’s talking about her for one more reason. Bayley vs Nikki Cross Is Bayley biting off more than she can chew by defending the SmackDown Women’s Title against Charlotte Flair at Clash of Champions? The answer, at least on Raw, is that she might have a better chance than the naysayers think: The Huggable One knocked off another titleholder, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Nikki Cross, in a match that quickly turned into a knock-down war of attrition. Bayley broke the stalemate with a top-rope elbow drop and perhaps reminded the WWE Universe about her history as she marches toward Charlotte: When she bets on herself, she tends to win. Natalya vs Sasha Banks About the best thing that can be said for Natalya in her match with Sasha Banksis that she refused to go down without a fight or to wait for her injured arm to heal before she tried her hand against The Boss for the sake of her own pride and the pride of her family. The decision cost her greatly, but at least she was able to leave Raw secure in the fact that she did not let Banks’ insults stand. Unfortunately, that’s also probably the worst thing that can be said for the match as well. It was painfully apparent that the clipped-wing The Queen of Harts was facing an uphill battle against the healthy Banks, especially after The Boss repeatedly slammed her arm into the ring post. Natalya certainly made it interesting against the “snake” who insulted her, but her injured arm left her unable to apply the Sharpshooter, and The Boss capitalized, locking in the Bank Statement and using that same arm as a leverage point against Natalya’s throat. The returning former champion didn’t hesitate to add insult to injury after the match, trapping Natalya in yet another Bank Statement just for kicks. Michael Cole was at a loss for words as he tried to determine why a star as accomplished as Banks would “stoop” to savaging Natalya in such a manner when she had already claimed the victory. The question might just answer itself: Clearly, when it comes to Sasha Banks, the submission was nice, but statement was the point. And as long as people are talking, she wins. Results * Singles Match: Bayley defeated Nikki Cross * Singles Match: Sasha Banks defeated Natalya by submission Other on-screen talent * Commentator: Renee Young * Interviewers: Kayla Braxton & Sarah Schreiber Media Category:2019 television episodes Category:RAW episodes Category:Bayley Category:Episodes featuring Kayla Braxton Category:Natalya Category:Nikki Cross Category:Episodes featuring Renee Young Category:Episodes featuring Sarah Schreiber Category:Episodes featuring Sasha Banks Category:WWE television episodes